TEMPO as a Hydrogen Atom Transfer Catalyst for Aerobic Dehydrogenation of Activated Alkanes to Alkenes.

2,2,6,6-Tetramethylpiperidine--oxyl (TEMPO) has been extensively utilized as a radical scavenger or an oxidation catalyst. In contrast, TEMPO as a hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) catalyst has rarely been studied. Here, we report that TEMPO, as the HAT catalyst, homolytically cleaves benzylic or allylic C-H bonds to give the corresponding alkyl radicals.

A Ni σ-Borane Complex Bearing a Rigid Bidentate Borane/Phosphine Ligand: Boryl Complex Formation by Oxidative Dehydrochloroborylation and Catalytic Activity for Ethylene Polymerization.

While of interest, synthetically feasible access to boryl ligands and complexes remains limited, meaning such complexes remain underexploited in catalysis. For bidentate boryl ligands, oxidative addition of boranes to low-valent Ir or Pt are the only examples yet reported. As part of our interest in developing improved group 10 ethylene polymerization catalysts, we present here an optimized synthesis of a novel, rigid borane/phosphine ligand and its Ni σ-borane complex.

High Density Polyethylenes Bearing Isolated In-Chain Carbonyls*.

Polyethylene materials are highly important polymers which are produced in the largest volume among all plastics. Due to the chemical inert property of saturated carbon-carbon bonds, the degradation of polyethylene is extremely challenging, which prevents them from efficient chemical recycling. Installing functional groups in the main chain of polyethylenes may facilitate the degradation and following chemical recycling of polyethylene materials.

Expedient Synthetic Identification of a P-Stereogenic Ligand Motif for the Palladium-Catalyzed Preparation of Isotactic Polar Polypropylenes.

The iso-specific statistical copolymerization of unprotected polar monomers with propylene remains a grand challenge in the field of polymer chemistry. Current research is hampered because only a single natural-product-derived dimenthylphosphine-motif is known to allow for the preparation of moderately isotactic polypropylene copolymers. To overcome this structural limitation, we developed time-efficient synthetic methods that facilitate P-donor ligand development.

Synthesis of Polyethylene with In-Chain α,β-Unsaturated Ketone and Isolated Ketone Units: Pd-Catalyzed Ring-Opening Copolymerization of Cyclopropenone with Ethylene.

Although various functionalized units can be incorporated into polyolefins by transition metal catalyzed coordination copolymerizations of nonfunctionalized olefins with polar functional monomers, the incorporated functional units are largely limited to a C1 unit from either CO or C2 units from vinyl monomers. Reported here is the Pd-catalyzed copolymerization of ethylene with cyclopropenone, leading to incorporation of C3 units with functional groups, α,β-unsaturated ketones, in the chain. Coordination-insertion of the carbonyl group and ring opening of the strained three-membered ring are proposed as the key steps in the mechanism.